Foods for high blood pressure

What APEX holds on the table for high blood pressure: the foods it leads with, each with where it comes from and why it is ours. Not a treatment plan — the food, and the reason it is on the list.

Compiled by APEX Legacy from published research and documented food history, under the editorial direction of Jonathan Jackson, Founder. How we write and review these pages →

Rice, Grains & Starch

African Sweet PotatoThe sweet potato is the thread that connects every Black American to West Africa and the…

Beans & Peas

Black-Eyed PeasThe most ancestrally direct food in Black American cuisine.
Crowder PeasCrowder peas are cousins to the black-eyed pea — same African lineage, different shape…
Field PeasThe full cowpea family — purple hull, crowder, iron-and-clay, cream.
Dixie Speckled ButterpeaA small, round, maroon-speckled butterpea — the petite cousin of the big butter bean…

Vegetables

Collard GreensThe crown jewel of Black Southern cooking — bitter, bold, and built for slow pot likker.
Sesame Herb LeavesThe sesame plant — called benne by the Gullah Geechee people of the South Carolina and…
Red SorrelHibiscus sabdariffa leaf (roselle leaf) — the tart, antioxidant-rich cooking green of…
Mustard Greens with Hot Water CornbreadPeppery mustard greens slow-cooked in seasoned pot likker, served with crisp pan-fried…
Yellow Cabbage CollardYellow Cabbage Collard — the pale, buttery-tender NC heirloom that cooks fast and sweet.
Florida Broadleaf Mustard GreenFlorida Broadleaf — the wide, smooth, fast-growing mustard green of Southern gardens.

Snacks

Homemade Sweet Potato ChipsThin slices of sweet potato baked crisp with a little oil and seasoning.

Drinks

Juneteenth Red DrinkThe ceremonial red drink of Juneteenth — traditionally steeped from hibiscus and spiced…
Watermelon JuiceFresh-pressed watermelon juice — hydrating, naturally sweet, and rich in citrulline that…
Hawthorn-Hibiscus Blood Pressure Tea BlendA purpose-built cardiovascular tea pairing the most evidence-backed heart herb (hawthorn)…
Sorrel (Hibiscus)Dried hibiscus calyces brewed into a tart, ruby-red tea.
Zobo ConcentrateThe red drink brewed down to its strongest form. Your grandmother steeped it loose…
Zobo DrinkYour grandmother's red drink — hibiscus, what some call sorrel — was steadying blood…
Greens Pot LikkerThe dark, mineral-laden broth left in the pot after greens cook down low and slow…

Sunday & Celebration

New Year's Day Prosperity PlateThe composed New Year's Day plate eaten for luck and money in the year to come…

Dishes & One-Pots

Smothered OkraOkra slow-cooked down with tomatoes, onion, and a little seasoning meat until it loses…
Catfish Stew (Lowcountry)Whole catfish or thick-cut pieces simmered in tomato broth with potatoes and onions.
Gumbo des HerbesA gumbo of many greens — the more kinds, the more friends you'll make in the year…

Fruit

WatermelonAn African fruit with 5,000 years of history. Blood pressure benefits, summer hydration…

Nuts & Seeds

Watermelon SeedThe watermelon seed — spit out by most, treasured by those who know — is a dense little…

Herbs & Spices

Hibiscus LeavesHibiscus rosa-sinensis leaf — medicinal tea and topical hair treatment from the…

Seafood

Catfish (Baked / Grilled)Same Delta fish, cleaner cook. All the culture, half the inflammatory fat.
WhitingThe fish-shop fish. Lightweight, affordable, mild. Philadelphia and New York's everyday…

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